A Markham family was basically burgled, legally, by police

It’s a story that seems ripped from a Canadian Real Estate Association commercial, but, according to the Star, it’s completely true. A Markham family came home to find their house apparently burglarized, with all their electronic devices gone. They called 911, only to be told by the police, “Actually, it was us.”

Can police really break into your suburban mini-mansion and steal all your stuff? The answer, at least in this case, is apparently “yes.” The Star spoke to a Toronto police officer who confirmed that there was a search warrant for the home. It was issued in relation to a Yonge Street stolen-cellphone ring bust in which Sina Ghojehbiglou, a son of the home’s previous occupants, was one of the accused. (The home’s current owners took up residence there in May.) In other words, police had the right address and the right paperwork; the only problem was that their intended target had moved away.

The family has its stuff back, now, but Ramin Rownaghi, the father, says some of it no longer works.

And so, homebuyers take note: between questions about five-piece washrooms and marble kitchen countertops, it might be worthwhile to ask about the criminal records of previous occupants.